Anyone out there who could explain what chords i must play in the left hand and at what time with the right hand. right hand can i play

First few alternating between B flat and E flat, with the left hand leading before each set of 4 on the right hand. (I don't know if I'm using the proper terminology here, I'm not that familiar in that regard, so forgive me.) Within that, it alternates between the single note and the chord. So, for example, the first part will have B flat single note, B flat chord, B flat single note, B flat chord. Then the next part will have the same pattern, but with E flat. Later on the chords change to D in the part before the highest notes. The part with the highest notes is G minor, then after that C minor, then F, C minor again, and then the last bit is a run up of G.

 

My explanation was probably royally confusing, as I mentioned, I'm not familiar with the proper terminology. I only recently was able to 'master' this. Are you just going off of memory, or do you have the sheet music?

it's probably best to download the sheet music, search and you'll find it, I used a combination of that, the images of chris's sheet music and ear

 

Print it out, if you can read sheet music.

 

If not, well, okay, I'll explain as best as I can... when you do the scale from F up to C, you alternate between B (second time a B-octave) and an F, B-flat, and D. When you go back up to the E-flat, you alternate between E-flat-octaves and E-flat, G, B-flat, and an E-flat one octave up from the other. Then you go back to your B-octave and F/B-flat/D while you go back up to C. Just try to keep the tempo even... you hold down each chord for two notes in the RIGHT hand, and keep it up for two notes, and hold it down again for two notes... then when you switch between how high the scale goes up (F to C and F to E-flat and back to F and C) you just switch to a different chord par.

 

And when you do the little doodad between G and F, you keep doing your E-flat-octave and E-flat/G/B-flat/other E-flat. An easy way to remember the timing of the left hand on this little part is just you hold down each chord for the full trill you do between G and F, and then you do a "blank" one where your left hand isn't doing anything, and you switch to the other chord -- you do this a total of two times, so two of each little chord. Got that?

 

Then you have your other scale you go up, which is C up to G, right? You do the E-flat-octave and E-flat/G/B-flat/other E-flat for this, too. Try to use the same timing I mentioned for the first scale you go up.

 

Then when you go from C all the way up to higher C, you keep using your E-flat-octave, but you switch the other chord to E-flat, G, A, and C -- yes it sounds dissonant, you may not think you are doing it right, but you are, ok, just take my word for it, haha.

 

When you switch from going from D up to the higher D, you have a different pair, which is a plain D (not an octave) and an F-sharp/A/D chord -- the only difference in timing from all the other scales you go up is for the first one, you hold the F-sharp/A/D chord down a bit longer... until you are about to get up to the A.

 

And then you've got your other doo-dad up near the higher C... you hold down G, then B-flat, then G, then B-flat/D/G. All you need to know on this is you hit the note with your left hand every time you get to the highest part of your little going up/coming back down that you do, if you know what I am talking about. Again, same timing as the rest of the song, that's just how I remember it.

 

Then you go back up starting with D and you have a C-octave (the leap from the B-flat/D/G to this C-octave is literally the hardest part of the song, you'll need to practice it A LOT) and a G/C/E-flat chord. When you go back after the first G/C/E-flat chord you just do one C, the one closest to middle C (not an octave) and then you go back to your G/C/E-flat chord. Then you go back up starting on C and you do an F-octave, and then E-flat/G/A/C (you did these before) and an F (the one near where your E-flat/G/A/C chord is... you don't have to move your hand for the switch between these) and E-flat/G/A/C again. Then the second time you go up with C, you do C, G/C/E-flat, C, G/C/E-flat again, like you did when you went up from D.

 

And then all you have is your scale with the left hand while your right hand finishes the song... you hit a low G, then B, D, G, B, D (you're above middle C when you hit this D), G, A.

 

I hope to god you can't read sheet music or I just spent like thirty minutes explaining to you for nothing. :P The jumps you make with the left hand are actually really hard in this song, you have got to practice it a lot. I would recommend learning to read sheet music if you can't, coz it really isn't very hard and you will be way better off for learning whatever songs you want later. I hope any explaining I did you needed from me was clear enough...

^ That's the sheet music I used when I first started to learn the song. I was having some difficulty with certain parts and was getting frustrated, and then shortly after someone posted the official sheet music (from the Prospekts March book). The official sheet music is actually slightly different from the one above, and the official version is (I think) a little easier to follow. I only started to read music a couple of months ago, so although this took me a little while, it is definitely doable. The thread with the link to the official sheet music is http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58091

 

Good luck David!

 

And if you need help in reading music (I couldn't tell from your original post), I recommend the following, this is what I used to teach myself: http://datadragon.com/education/reading/

wow, my sheet music looks different..

it's from a scan from the prospekts march book, photoshopped to make it "printer friendly"

original:

http://i47.tinypic.com/34zg9b8.jpg

I agree with you strikie... the official version from the Prospekt's March book is noticeably different, and I think it's much easier to see what's going on. When I started using the official version, everything clicked, and I was even able to change the hand positioning so it was easier to play.

it's really hard to hit the notes just like chris.

some are softer and some with more "accent" (probably no official piano terms.. lol)

tho it's awesome to play!

Don't worry, I'm not very good with official piano terms either. :tongue:

 

I agree, it is kind of hard, especially on the right hand to get the pinky finger to play with more emphasis than the thumb with all of the back-and-forth movements, but the more you practice the easier it gets. I think I do pretty well considering my hands are so small (only 14cm from the base of my palm to the top of my middle finger). eek. They're probably about half the size of Chris' hands (literally).

thanks for all your clever advices!

but I still have big troubles with left hand here..:bigcry:

I still have big toubles with left hand here..:bigcry:

 

If the trouble with your left hand is a matter of timing with the right hand or just moving your hand up and down to the correct spot, I would recommend for a little while only playing the left hand. That way you can concentrate on how that part is supposed to sound, the rhythm, and getting familiar with how it is supposed to 'feel'. I had a hard time with the left hand at first also, but that was actually because I wasn't using the official sheet music at first. I thought when hitting the single notes I had to do both ends of the octave (2 notes), but when I saw the official sheet music it's just the one note (alternating with the chord). Just practice with the left hand only for awhile, and see how that works.

or you could just not play it with chords.

Bb D Bb D Eb Eb (one octave higher) etc

yeh, learning one hand at a time repeatedly is a good idea, also, try playing really slowly, go as slow as you like with both hands to get the timing then just repeat sections at super slow speed until you've got them and can link them together

Ah, okay, the official one mostly just has some slightly different chords on some parts... but really either way it is going to sound similar to the original, plus I think doing octaves instead of individual notes most of the time makes it sound a lot richer and prettier, personally.

 

edit: massive undead bump...

whoa what an explanation you did up there!

 

that sheet music, however, lacks a couple of flat notes next to the time signature, so then you don't have to write them every time they appear. i suck at talking about these things in english, but sure you get what i mean :uhoh:

whoa what an explanation you did up there!

 

that sheet music, however, lacks a couple of flat notes next to the time signature, so then you don't have to write them every time they appear. i suck at talking about these things in english, but sure you get what i mean :uhoh:

 

Yup, this song isn't really meant to be read through sheet music...